Nearly everyone wants to get fit, but many Americans feel that the only way to do so is to spend hours in the gym. While is correct, the feelings of dread for many make going to the gym nearly impossible. In order for exercise to work, the individual must feel confident and motivated; for the millions of people who experience excessive sweating, such feelings are often overshadowed by feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment. Medical experts are finding treatment options directed with the goal of helping excessive sweating become less of a problem so that such individuals can work out in confidence.
The Benefits of Sweat
Sweat is a natural product of our bodies made almost completely of water with trace amounts of other chemicals including ammonia, urea, salts, and sugar. Our bodies have an average of two to four million sweat glands that help to keep our bodies cool in times of strenuous activity or extreme heat exposure. Sweating is also our bodies’ way of flushing toxins and other substances including alcohol, cholesterol, and salt from the body. Several dermatologists suggest that sweat can also help boost one’s immune system, helping the body to stay healthy through regular sweating. So although sweating is a normal part of being a human, there are a number of individuals who suffer from excessive sweating that until recently went without a diagnosis.
A Cause for Excessive Sweating Problems
Today it is known that there is a cause for excessive sweating known as hyperhidrosis. The nearly 8 million Americans that suffer from hyperhidrosis have a tendency to sweat four to five times as much as the average individual with men and women being affected in even numbers. By and large, must hyperhidrosis sufferers are between the ages of 25 to 64 years with up to 3% of the population potentially having some degree of focal hyperhidrosis. Dermatologists believe that there may be a genetic predisposition for hyperhidrosis as 30-50% of sufferers have another family member affected by the condition. Helping excessive sweating is a priority for many sufferers of hyperhidrosis, as around 90% of those affected with the condition report a lack of confidence and self-appreciation due to the condition — at a time when obesity and health concerns have never been higher, hyperhidrosis could be just one part of a larger issue.
Treatments for Hyperhidrosis
Experts have developed a therapy that is helping excessive sweating in hyperhidrosis sufferers. Iontophoresis therapy was first introduced over 50 years ago to help treat excessive sweating in patients; the process starts with a iontophoresis machine that passes a local current with ionic medical compounds into the patients skin over the course of around 10 to 20 minutes. Patients that receive around six to 10 treatments with an iontophoresis machine are able to shut down their sweat glands, effectively curing hyperhidrosis — patients with more severe cases of hyperhidrosis may need as many as two or three iontophoresis treatments per week depending on the severity of their condition. Thanks to iontophoresis treatment, patients are able to enjoy a burst of confidence as they are able to run, play, and exercise with an air of confidence they may not have ever had before.